Lunacy
by element90
Summary: A teen hosts a celebration under an August full moon.
1. Chapter 1

Keely crouched low to the ground, circling her opponent with determination etched deep in her eyes.

"Bring it on, Too Slow Teslow," he said with a drawl and a smirk.

She emitted some kind of inhuman growl and sprang forward, pouncing onto her prey, arms flailing and perfectly manicured nails clawing at the air.

Phil expelled a puff of breath and staggered under the weight hanging onto his shoulder. With a tad too much effort, he swooped his free arm underneath her right leg, lifting it from the ground and throwing her balance off along with his own.

With a thud Keely's backside smacked against the grass, and Phil fell forward onto his stomach.

"Phil!" she cried, gasping for oxygen.

He groaned and rolled onto his back, spitting out a few blades of grass and specks of dirt that had stuck to his lips.

"I win?" he exhaled heavily.

Keely sat up slowly, knocking debris from her yellow tank top and scowling at the boy next to her.

"Only if you can keep my shoe from leaving an imprint on your face!"

Phil laughed at her threat, but quickly his eyes widen in horror as she hurled the sneaker in his direction.

"Keel!" he exclaimed, rolling to his side just before the sole struck the spot where his head had been.

"You threw a shoe at me!" he responded in disbelief.

"You made me fall!"

"I made us _both_ fall! Besides, that's the game!"

Keely's brow furrowed.

Phil rubbed his wrist.

"My butt hurts…" she whined softly.

He chuckled and she smiled a little as she picked a leaf from her loose curls.

Pulling his knees up and resting his arms on them, Phil looked up at the blazing summer sky.

"What're we doing out here, Keel? It's gotta be 95 degrees."

She perked up. "Know what we should do tonight?!"

Phil stared. "Pack ourselves in ice?"

"No, silly! We should go to Paprika's party!"

He shook his head and joked, "I don't trust anyone with a spice for a name."

Rolling her eyes, Keely sighed heavily and slipped on her shoe. "Fine…I'll go without you."

"That's a blatant disregard for rule number four of the friendship code!"

"Well I'm not about to spend another night of my summer vacation watching a cat circus," Keely protested firmly, rising to her feet.

Phil laughed quietly. "So we'll do something. We can take the Skyak out. Preferably to some place cold."

Keely shook her head and plopped onto the backdoor steps. "I wanna do something _this_ century has to offer. I wanna eat junk food and dance to the latest hits before they get buried in the one hit wonder file."

Taking a seat next to her, Phil said with a smile, "Ohhh, I get it. You want to be a teenager!"

"You're one too, you know," she replied. "Don't you wanna cut loose?"

"I dunno…I thought cutting through the cemetery on the way back from the movies was pretty loose."

Keely blinked twice.

Phil gently elbowed her ribs. "Alright... let's go to spice girl's party."

"Yeee!" She grabbed him in a quick hug. "See ya tonight!"

He rolled his eyes but smiled and headed inside as Keely danced through the gateway.


	2. Chapter 2

"Hey, Keel…did you hear that?"

They exchanged looks as they came to an abrupt stop along the walkway leading to the front door. The noise broke the silence again, and an animal with a shaggy coat appeared out of the shadows in the yard, its hair shining under the silver moonlight.

"Guys! She's got a _donkey_!"

Owen led the animal past them with a thumbs-up and a wild gleam in his eyes.

"This is gonna be a great party," Phil commented dully.

Keely pushed his shoulder and stepped up the door, which opened before she had a chance to ring the bell.

"Names, please," a girl with a clipboard in her hand stated flatly.

"Sabrina…we have homeroom together," Phil scoffed.

With a stern expression, the girl with flat-iron blond hair and knee high boots repeated, "Names."

"Keel, this is ridiculous," he whispered to his best friend.

She jabbed his stomach with her elbow and smiled at Sabrina. "Keely Teslow and Phil Diffy."

"Thank you," she replied, jotting down the information and allowing them room to pass.

Inside, a loud obnoxious rock song blared through giant twin speakers and several smaller ones positioned around the room. A large space had been cleared for dancers who bobbed their heads to the beat, occasionally raising their arms in no particular manner.

Keely also moved to the music and grinned.

"C'mon, Phil!"

"Ke-"

She jerked on his hand, practically tossing him into the crowd. The song smoothly transitioned into a more rhythmic groove with a heavy bass. The teens cheered for reasons lost on Phil and began jumping in synchronization.

Keely immediately joined them, while Phil observed the others as they seemed to dance in a specific pattern. Unsure how to engage in the act, Phil opted to slink into the corner and eventually made his way along the wall to a less rowdy part of the house.

"I know your secret, Phil Diffry."

"Ex-excuse me?" he asked the red-head sauntering towards him from across the kitchen.

She smiled, but her lips appeared slightly strange due to the smeared scarlet lipstick.

"I know how you make such good grades…" she slurred.

He exhaled a heavy breath.

"You got one of those photogenic memories, don't you?"

"Uh…"

"No, no," she interrupted, pressing a pink nail-polished finger to his lips, "you don't hafta be modest, Mr. Diffry…"

She gave him a wink and stepped back unsteadily.

"It's Diffy."

"What matters," the girl mumbled and stumbled away.

Phil shook his head and started to take a bite of some dip when a snarky chuckle stopped him. He sighed.

"What are you doing here, Pim?"

She held up a compact orange camcorder attached to her hand. "Documenting behavior of the sheep."

He rolled his eyes. "Did you sneak in here just to exploit these people?"

"Phil, I'm utterly shocked you would think such a thing of your very flesh and blood," she replied, holding her free hand to her heart.

Her brother crossed his arms over his chest and raised an eyebrow.

Rolling her eyes, she shook her head. "One day, brother, you will come to realize the importance of blackmail material, but it will be too late."

She snapped the viewing window closed in his face and turned to leave.

"Have fun making curfew, little sis," he called after her.

Whipping around, she responded with a rude gesture of her finger and disappeared into the masses.

"Whoa, man, your sister is hardcore," a guy behind him said with a laugh.

"Hey, Todd," Phil greeted flatly.

"Why don't you come out back with us, got something you might like," he said, putting an arm loosely around Phil's neck.

Phil gave him a suspicious look, and Todd laughed.

"It beats hanging out in the kitchen, man."

"Sure," Phil said with a shrug.

"Alright, you're gonna love this," Todd replied with a nod of his head and a grin.

Phil followed him down the back steps to a patio with a grill and lounge chairs. A few guys, most he recognized as members from the baseball team, were gathered in a group.

"Hey, it's Diffy!" one of them yelled, raising his blue plastic cup as if toasting Phil's arrival.

He waved to the guys and stuffed his hands in his pockets.

Todd motioned for the guys to huddle around him as he took a seat at the umbrella-covered table.

"Alright, men, place your bets."

They quickly began rummaging through wallets and searching pockets, pulling out dollar, five, and even twenty dollar bills.

"I don't get it," Phil said, "…what are we betting on?"

Todd signaled for a couple guys to move apart. He pointed towards the back fence at the end of the large yard.

"See that house?" Todd asked Phil.

Phil nodded.

"Paprika's neighbor lives there, who, lucky for us, moved in at the beginning of the summer," Todd started to explain but was cut off by a few hoots and whistles from the guys.

Phil glanced around, a bit confused.

Todd continued with a chuckle, "She's like 20 and a complete goddess."

"She's Swedish," a baseball player added.

"Pure porcelain skin, flowing golden locks, piercing blue eyes, and legs that go on for miles…" Todd ended with a smirk.

"Plus she's got huge - "

"Guys! Pizza's here!" someone announced from the back door, effectively cutting off the outspoken ball player.

The guys shook their heads in irritation.

"Anyway," Todd continued, removing small binoculars from a black backpack, "rules are simple: put your money on the table and jot down a color. Winner takes all, bonus for being exact, multiple wins split the pot."

"You in?" a couple guys asked in unison.

"We're betting on…the color of what, exactly?"

The guys snickered among themselves.

One of them answered with a pat on Phil's back, "The color of Miss Scandinavia's delicates…"

"Last week was royal blue and Spaz over here," Todd said with a jab of his thumb in the direction of a guy with his baseball hat on backwards, "took the prize money, even earned an extra two bucks from everyone for guessing the correct shade."

Another guy gave 'Spaz' a high-five while the others made comments.

Phil shook his head. "Wait…last week? You do this regularly?"

Todd laughed. "Well, eventually, she'll probably run out of colors, but yeah, it's summer vacation! What else are we gonna do, spend Saturday nights at the planetarium or the art museum?"

Everyone seemed amused but Phil.

"No, it's the perfect time for debauchery," Todd insisted. "You're only gonna be 16 once, so you gotta seize these fleeting opportunities to indulge yourself. The full moon beckons..."

The guys agreed with more high-fives and a few cheers. Todd straightened his spine, quite proud to have earned the approval from his buddies.

Phil stared at them for several seconds and then cleared his throat.

"Uh…sounds like a fun game, guys…but I'm pretty sure what you're doing is illegal, not to mention morally questionable."

"Diffy, man, we're hot-blooded teenagers with curiosities nature intended for us to explore…" Todd reasoned. "It's totally harmless."

"If it makes you feel better about it, we could always volunteer to mow the lawn, paint the fence or something," someone offered with a less than serious tone and demeanor.

Todd stifled a laugh and handed the pen to Phil.

He glanced at the upstairs window, open and free of curtains, lit by lamplight.

"Now or never, man, she's gonna be shedding today's clothes soon and covering up that work of pure genius with jammies," Todd urged.

Phil bit his lip and slowly took the pen. He shrugged and leaned down to write his choice on the paper.


	3. Chapter 3

"Phil!" Keely said with a grin as she walked towards him, but then furrowed her brow. "Whoa, where'd you get all that cash…?"

He stuffed the wad of dough into his pocket and laughed nervously, his cheeks tinted red and his grin disappearing quickly. "Just uh…forgot to take it out earlier. What's up?"

Keely eyed him suspiciously.

He avoided her and instead gestured to the kitchen bar filled with tons of snacks, empty cups and a few deflated party balloons.

"Have you had anything to eat?" he asked.

She shook her head. "Been way too busy shaking my thang on the dance floor!"

Phil looked disturbed and cleared his throat, while examining the smorgasbord of treats.

"So what have you been up to?"

"Nothing!" he answered too quickly, nearly dropping his cupcake.

Keely laughed. "Is that your third or fourth cupcake, Phil, cause you're acting a little sugar high."

"Yeah, you're right… I should limit myself."

"Well, I'm gonna hit the little girls room, but we're dancing when I get back," she accentuated with a finger pointed to his chest.

"I'll be here," he replied with a lazy smile.

A few seconds after Keely's departure, the red head slithered up next to him and purred in his ear.

"We meet again, Mr. Diffry…"

Phil nearly jumped out of his skin, his cupcake splattering on the tile.

"Hi..."

He tried to ease away, but she blocked him by pinning him to the bar, resulting in a few items crashing to the floor.

"Wanna know something?" she inquired, flicking her tongue over her upper teeth.

"Not really…" Phil mumbled, trying to duck under her leather-clad arm.

She giggled insanely and ran her fingers through his hair. "You are so funny! I just love funny guys..."

Phil shook his head free of her hand and pleaded with the crazed red head, "Look, I need to go find my friend, so if you'll excuse me…just…"

She finally complied and gave him a small amount of space.

"Friends come first, that's what I always say too…"

Phil smiled as politely as possible and walked off swiftly. Once making it to relative safety, he wiped his brow and scanned the party. Another and impossibly louder rock song was playing and more bodies had filled the room.

"Yo, Dirty D, what's crackin'?"

Phil winced as Owen slapped his back and spoke in a discomforting volume in his ear.

"Enjoyin' the par-tay?" he asked without giving Phil a chance to respond. "Good!"

Owen grabbed him by the elbow and pushed him through an arched hallway leading to another room. Inside, a girl and a guy relaxed atop pillows on the floor while a guy with long black hair was bent over the girl.

"What's this…?" Phil asked the hyper boy beside him.

"This is my man Blackfeet, and he's a master of design!"

The guy with black hair stood, strands of hair long enough to reach his ribcage falling over his shoulder.

"Hey, you brought me a new customer!"

The two exchanged an original handshake and turned to grin at Phil.

He looked worried.

"I'm Thomas, but everyone calls me Blackfeet."

He held out his hand, and Phil slowly took it, thinking the name didn't make sense given the guy had black _hair_, of course Phil couldn't determine the color of his covered feet.

"Phil Diffy." He looked at the others on the floor and back to Blackfeet. "So…what's going on here?"

"Ah, man, this is an artistic expression of the soul here," Blackfeet said, tucking his hair behind an ear. "I create for the outside to see whatever you hold on the inside."

Phil glanced at Owen who was still grinning.

"Want to see my work?" Blackfeet asked, gesturing to the girl he was bent over before.

Phil stepped forward, straining to see in the dimly lit room. Once close enough so that the candlelight reflected off the girl's bare abdomen, he could see Blackfeet's creation: a nearly completed broken heart in blank ink.

"A tattoo?" Phil asked, concern written all over his face.

Blackfeet laughed. "I only aspire to be a tattoo artist, but meanwhile, I practice my craft with a more temporary technique."

He held up a pack of Temporary Body Markers.

Owen not so gently encouraged Phil to take a seat near the other teens.

"What's inside you, Differ?" he asked, popping a green sucker into his mouth.

Blackfeet finished his markings on the girl and turned to Phil. "I give a discount to first timers."

Phil laughed. "No, thanks."

Owen frowned. "It's totally cool, dude. I got one!"

After inspecting on Owen's bicep the rather impressively detailed depiction of a bikini-clad beach babe blowing a kiss, Phil shrugged and dug into his pocket.

"How much?"


	4. Chapter 4

"Phil! Where the heck have you been?"

She stood with her hands planted firmly on her hips, her lips pressed tightly together.

He apologized sincerely, "Owen dragged me off, Keel."

"That weasel…" She paused and then slowly raised both brows.

He grinned. "Nice, right?"

"It looks like a jar of ink threw up on your neck."

He frowned. "It does not…"

"Did you do that to yourself?" she asked, taking a closer look.

Phil caught a whiff of her lavender perfume and allowed his eyelids to flutter closed for a moment.

"Phil?"

He opened them to see her staring at him, just inches from his face.

"Uh, no. Blackfeet did it…" he whispered.

"Blackfeet?" Keely asked, stepping back and trying not to laugh. "Phil, really, are you feeling alright? Did you keep eating those cupcakes?"

He shook his head. "Blackfeet. Owen's friend."

"Is a person?"

"Yes!" Phil pointed to the hallway. "He's in a room back there charging for temporary…artistic expressions."

Keely stifled a chuckle. "Mm…"

"Why is that so amusing?" Phil asked defensively.

"I'm sorry," Keely said with a small smile. "I guess it…looks good. And if you like it, that's all that matters."

"It's a symbol of my unspoken desires. The truth that lies inside me."

Keely fought hard to keep from smiling. "Okay…so what is it exactly?"

He pulled the collar of his shirt from his skin to expose the image fully.

"Oh…" Keely's mouth hung open slightly.

Phil swallowed nervously and tried to meet her eyes, but they remained locked on the marking.

"Wow, Phil…that's actually…really beautiful," she said quietly. "What does it mean?"

His pulse had quickened and his mind started to race with the possibility of revealing the hidden meaning behind the symbol, of revealing his feelings.

But his bravery faltered, his pulse fell flat and his mind echoed a harsh laughter aimed at himself.

"Nothing. I was just playing along with the hippie. Didn't want to hurt his feelings."

She grinned. "Slick."

Looking at the floor, Phil responded with a dejected, "Yeah."

"Ooh," Keely said with a jump as she pulled a vibrating phone from her pocket. "It's Via!"

Phil nodded and walked away slowly, passing by an ornate mirror on the wall surrounded by candle sconces. He looked at the image: interlaced loops, knotted together to form an endless line signifying an eternal love.

He stuck his tongue out at his reflection.

"She just got here!" Keely exclaimed excitedly.

Phil watched as she bounded toward the main entrance of the house.

"Aw…is Mr. Diffry not having a good time at the party?"

He dropped his head forward in defeat at the sound of her voice.

"Maybe I can cheer him up…" she purred, lacing her arm around his waist and leaning into his side.

Phil knocked her roaming hand away. "Who _are_ you?"

She almost cackled, throwing her head back and spilling a few drops of her punch onto the maple hardwood floor.

As she stared at her mess, Phil quickly got behind a few passing teens on their way to the lively dance area.

The music fell dead, much to the dismay of more than a few guests, as a skinny kid with dirty blond hair and a ratty band t-shirt stood upon a foot stool.

"Alright, alright, we're going to take a break for a time-honored tradition here at Paprika's place..." he jumped to the large, decorative rug, and grabbed a couple drumsticks from the coffee table that had been pushed to the wall.

Cheers rang out across the crowd, the guy taking a bow and opening a closet door.

"Last year," he began with a small grunt while pushing a white bass drum to the middle of the room, "Benjamin wowed us with his keyboard upstaging of Mr. Tims, gave it a hell of a shot, Jay," he said to the short teen sitting a sofa arm.

"But this year," he added, pulling the remaining drum set pieces from the closet, "Samantha Zinner will shake your brains with her mad drumming skills and gladly challenges anyone who dares to take her on."

The pretty brunette emerged from her very own cheer section like a boxer ready for round one.

She and the tall kid assembled the set and gave it a fine tuning while everyone grabbed a drink or picked an ideal spot for the show.

Keely, with Via at her side, waved at Phil from across the room, but he was more intrigued by what was about to occur.

Samantha sat upon the stool behind the set and twirled her sticks while tapping the bass pedal. Soon she increased the pace and added the snare and tom. Several hollers rang out as she threw in some style by tossing a stick into the air during play. She continued for several minutes, switching up the rhythm and even blowing kisses to the guys in between crashes of the cymbals.

When she finished everyone clapped and shouted her name as she flashed the crowd a beautiful smile.

"Okay, okay, sweet, Miss Zinner, very nice," the skinny kid said, giving her a pat on the back. "So who wants to contend with that, huh?"

A few seconds of silence passed before someone accepted the challenge.

"Me."

Phil stepped up to the kid and held out his hand for the drum sticks.

"Ooh..." the crowd murmured.

"It's your embarrassment," the kid said with a shrug.

Keely grinned and waved excitedly to him as he took a seat behind the drums. With a deep breath, he began to pound away. He played for nearly twenty minutes, never missing a beat, and alternating between heavy and light sequences. The teens clapped to the rhythm and even began chanting his name.

As he finished, he tossed the sticks to a couple cute girls in the front and gave them a wink. The crowd went wild and Phil beamed like a child on Christmas morning.

Keely jumped up and down for her friend, while Via gave him a smile and a nod. Owen raised his fist in the air and bellowed a cheer above the rest.

"Great job," Samantha commended.

"Looks like we got our winner!" exclaimed the skinny kid, lifting Phil's left arm.

Phil sat soaking up the adoration and breathed a happy sigh.


	5. Chapter 5

"Thanks for the dance," Owen said flirtatiously, as Keely sat on a couch, expelling a loud breath.

"You're a good partner," she replied sincerely.

His chest puffed in response. "You and me, next slow song," he insisted.

"My feet are kinda sore, Owen..." she lied.

The blond immediately dropped to his knee at Keely's feet.

"It's a tad premature for a marriage proposal, isn't it?"

Keely smiled at her brunette friend as she took a seat beside her.

Owen rolled his eyes. "Not that it's any of your business, Via, but I'm offering to rub her feet."

"Well, then of course, you absolutely must accept, Keely. It would be good practice for what I'm sure will be a most rewarding future career for Owen," she said, giving him a small smirk.

He mocked her silently and stood up. "See ya later, Keely."

Giving him a wave then turning to Via, she said, "I wonder where Phil's at. He just disappeared..."

"I saw him on my way over here. From the look of it, I'd say he was basking in his new found rock star status."

Keely smiled to herself and glanced down at her lap. "He was pretty amazing..."

"The least you could do is _attempt_ to conceal that crush you claim not to have, Keely," Via remarked.

She narrowed her eyes at the brunette just as Phil approached them from behind.

"Good evening, ladies," he greeted, leaning over the back of the couch with a sweet smile. "Are we enjoying ourselves?"

"Hey!" Keely exclaimed brightly. "Congrats!

"Excellent show, Phil," Via commented.

"Thank you both," he replied, sitting on the other side of the blond. "I thought my arms were going to fall off before I could finish, though."

"I'm glad you're having a good time," Keely said.

"I'm glad you brought me," he replied. "That's actually why I came over here, to thank you. It's been a fun night."

"Are you ready to go upstairs, Phil?"

All three turned to see a girl with silky blond hair and bright green eyes looking at Phil. Keely and Via exchanged a glance while Phil smiled at the newcomer.

"Sure," he answered, turning to his friends. "This is Noel, Paprika's cousin. She's visiting from Wisconsin."

Keely gave no reaction so Via softly cleared her throat. "Hi, I'm Via. And this is Keely."

"Nice to meet you," the quiet girl replied.

Phil watched Keely for a moment, but she kept her eyes on the other blond.

"I'll see you later, Keel..."

Her eyes flickered in his direction, and she nodded. Phil's brow furrowed the slightest, but he turned and followed the girl to the stairs.

Via looked to Keely for any kind of response, but she only grabbed her drink from the table and headed off in the opposite direction of her best friend and his new companion.

Upstairs, Noel led Phil into a dark room with an open window that offered a nice view of the neighborhood's bordering forest and distant town lights.

"Paprika and I used to play up here for hours, pretending we were princesses in a castle guarded by magical beasts."

Phil held her hand as she stepped over the windowsill and sat on the flat surface of the rooftop, then joined her.

"I bet that was a lot of fun," he said with a smile.

"It was, but it was her idea," Noel replied. "Honestly, I would have rather been learning to play the drums..."

"Really?"

"And the guitar too."

Phil shook his head. "So what stopped you?"

Sighing lightly Noel explained, "My mother's always had her heart set on pageants. I've been competing since I was two. It's time consuming and expensive. Didn't leave much room for music lessons."

He nodded slowly.

"But the beauty pageants are fun too. I get to travel and meet new friends. Plus, not to brag, but I win a lot," she smiled somewhat shyly.

"I can see why..."

Her cheeks flushed, but the darkness and silver moonlight hid it well.

Phil's gaze was eventually broken by the involuntary blinking of his eyelids. "So...uh...is there a talent portion of the competitions?"

She nodded, "I sing."

Smiling, he asked, "Would you, for me?""

With a soft laugh, she ducked her head, silky strands falling to cover her face from him. "You sure know how to put a girl on the spot..."

"Sorry," he chuckled. "But, you should be comfortable with that, right? Stage, bright lights, judges scrutinizing your every move..."

"Don't forget the competitors' mothers silently hoping I fall on my face," she added lightly.

"That's brutal..." he said with a smile.

They sat quietly for a few minutes, taking in the sounds of the summer night.

Noel inhaled slowly and nodded. "Alright...I'll sing for you."

Phil grinned like a child who had just convinced his mom to let him eat dessert before dinner.

"But only because you had the nerve to take those drum sticks up against a very talented drummer in front of a large group of teenagers that could have eaten you alive had you sucked big time."

He laughed.

"To honor your courage."

"For courage," he agreed.

She took a deep breath and began to hum a low tune. Phil immediately felt the gentle tone affect him like a warm day at the beach with sand glistening like a billion tiny diamonds.

She started to sing in a soft, beautiful voice, with a clarity Phil felt travel sweetly past his ear.

"If I...could break from these walls...iron gates of rust..."

She swallowed and lowered her head.

"If you...could feel me here...and rescue me from the dust...then the world...would be ours to see...together just you and me..."

Phil felt himself being pulled like a swimmer caught in a current. Noel's voice rose in pitch a small amount as she lifted her eyes to the moonlit sky.

"If I could...If you could...then the world would be ours to see..."

The softness returned to her voice as she faced Phil.

"Together...just you...and...me..."

He silently shifted closer, so that her face was mere inches from his. He could feel her breath against his cheek as turned his head and moved his lips towards hers.

She reached a hand behind his head, encouraging their lips to meet. Phil responded eagerly, as did Noel. As he tried to reposition his weight, he leaned forward to far, causing Noel to fall back.

With their lips still locked, Phil misjudged the direction in which he needed to pull Noel to help her keep her balance. His mistake resulted in him falling on top of her and then the pair rolling down the slope of the roof.

Noel broke the kiss with a shriek. Phil managed to catch the edge of the roof with the hand that wasn't wrapped around the frightened blond.

"Phil!"

"I'm alright..." He grunted and twisted his dangling legs, trying to find some kind of footing, but there was none to be found as the gutter he clung to began to creak and moan loudly.

"I can't pull you up!" Noel said, voice full of distress from her straining.

Glancing at the ground below, Phil noticed a large flowering bush. He mentally assessed if he could push himself off the wall, he might make it. At least the bush would break his fall.

With a sharp grinding noise, the gutter began to break away from the roof. Phil glanced once more into the terrified green eyes of the girl above him holding onto his arm with every ounce of strength she had left.

"Let go..."

She shook her head and yelled for help, but the thumping from the music playing downstairs drowned out her cry.

"It's okay," Phil said as reassuringly as possible.

Noel hesitated, but then released her grip. Phil shut his eyes and dropped from the second story.


	6. Chapter 6

He opened one eye and coughed. Noel knelt beside him and touched his cheek. It was soft and reassuring. Phil responded with a lop-sided smile.

"You scared me," she said while removing leaves and twigs from his hair.

With gentle movements, Phil tested his limbs. She helped him ease up to a sitting position. Phil surveyed the scene: flattened branches in the large bush he had tumbled through on his way to the ground, broken flowers scattered around him.

"You have scratches all over your face," Noel noted with a wince.

He felt his cheek, nose, and forehead, bringing his fingers closer to examine for blood.

"I'll live."

"I should get you inside," she said, trying to help him to his feet.

"Thanks...but I'll just sit out here for a while."

"Are you hurt?"

"Nah."

"Can I get you anything?" she asked, standing up.

He shook his head and grimaced slightly at the pounding inside his skull the motion had caused.

"I'll see you later..." Noel said, reluctantly leaving him sitting on the ground.

Phil laid back and stared at the moon, the light so bright it dimmed the stars. He exhaled loudly and chuckled to himself.

"Dude?"

He turned his head to see a pair of worn-out sandals coming towards him. His eyes tracked upward, taking in the faded jeans with holes, a long flannel with a ratty t-shirt underneath, and stringy dark hair framing a thin face partially hidden under the shadow from a floppy woven hat.

"What's..up...?" the stranger asked slowly.

Phil folded his hands on his stomach. "Just chilling."

The guy tucked some errant hair behind his ear and bobbed his head. "I dig that... Mind if I chill with you?"

Phil shook his head, and the kid sat Indian-style near him.

"You look rough, dude..."

"I fell off the roof," Phil said with a nod.

A grin slowly lit up the kid's face. "Awe...some..."

Phil laughed quietly.

"I'm Maddox."

"Phil."

Maddox stretched out his legs and dug into his pocket, an empty clear bag emerging between his fingers. "Aw man...fresh out..."

Phil raised an eyebrow. Maddox folded his hands behind his head and laid on his back.

"Dude...the moon looks bigger..."

After a beat, Phil replied, "Well, it is technically closer to Earth currently..."

"What?" Maddox asked, disbelief and alarm mixed in his glassy-looking eyes.

With a shrug, Phil explained, "The moon travels in an elliptical orbit, so its distance from us is not constant. Every so many years, its orbit brings it to its closest point."

Maddox nodded slowly. "Dude..." He shook his head in confusion. "Are you...like...one of those astronauts for NASA?"

Phil stared blankly.

"NASA kills, dude... they got..._ the coolest_ rockets." He grinned at Phil.

Phil chuckled, "Think so? You should see what they come up with in the next century."

Maddox looked extremely puzzled, and Phil watched with amusement.

"The future is full of unbelievable technology, engineering is at its peak, gadgets you can't even imagine are at the fingertips of everyone..."

"How... how do you know?" Maddox questioned warily.

"Cause I'm from the future," Phil stated casually.

Maddox stared at him for several seconds, then slowly sat up.

Phil continued, "My family became stuck here when our time machine malfunctioned."

Maddox scratched his head.

Phil nodded and resumed watching the night sky.

"Dude..." Maddox laughed. "That's freaky...I'm telling my buddies... Speaking of... I've gotta go acquire some more party favors..." Maddox said with a sly grin. "Peace."

Phil waved his hand once as the teen shuffled off humming a chipper tune. With a sigh Phil pushed himself to his feet and slightly limped back to the house.

"What happened to you?" Via asked, taking in his disheveled appearance as he stepped out of the shadows.

Jumping from the sudden sound of her voice, Phil exhaled sharply.

"Did I give you a fright?" the brunette inquired with a tiny smirk.

"What are you doing out here creeping about?"

She chuckled. "I'm not creeping... I needed a stiff drink. I prefer privacy."

Phil stood silently as she took a swig from a bottle wrapped in a brown bag. Via waved him off and moved closer to see his wounds.

"Is the girl responsible for this?"

He sighed. "Partly... Know where I can find Keely?"

Via shrugged. "I left her dancing with a good-looking fellow."

Phil tensed. "Who?"

"Hmm, I believe he said something about attending his first year at the community college... Bryant or the like was his name... He must be an athlete, he has incredible arms, like perfectly sculpted clay..."

Shaking his head impatiently, Phil strode past her. Via smiled to herself and continued her stroll.

"Name, please," a voice said at the front door, an arm coming across the doorway to stop Phil from entering.

He rolled his eyes. "You know who I am. Besides, I've been here all night."

"Name," she said with a dead stare.

"Sabrina, get a life," he replied in irritation, brushing past her as soon as her arm dropped back to her side.

He found Keely easily, since she was in the arms of who he assumed was the fellow Via spoke of, near the front entrance. He stood a few inches taller than Keely, and his muscular arms held her close. Keely had her cheek against his chest and her eyes closed as they swayed to a slow beat and some female singer belting her heart out.

Phil felt as if he'd been dealt a solid blow to his midsection. His ribcage even ached, though he imagined that was more likely from the fall.

He stared at the floor for a few seconds, then glanced back up just in time to see Keely open her eyes and set her gaze upon him.

He expected her to flash him a friendly smile, or maybe seem surprised to find him standing just a few feet away, but he did not expect to receive the reaction she did give.

In silent shock he watched as she turned her head and planted a long, soft kiss to her dance partner's mouth. Phil's blood boiled at the quick glimpse of his thick tongue parting her lips.


	7. Chapter 7

"Phil!"

Todd motioned for him to come to the dining table where he sat loudly snacking away at chips and bean dip.

"I could hurt him..." Phil muttered under his breath. "I could break his dirty too-big fingers one at a time..." Phil's head snapped upward, his eyes looking at the ceiling but his sight set in a fantasy. "I could cut out that slobbery cow tongue and beat him with it! I could poke out his fat eyeballs and shove 'em up his nostrils!"

"What are you talking about? Take a chair."

Phil sank down onto the emerald green cushion.

"Something got you down...?" Todd asked, a distracted expression on his long oval-shaped face as he carefully guided an overloaded chip into his mouth.

Phil exhaled gruffly and leaned on his forearms. "Girls..."

Stretching his arms behind his head, Todd chuckled, "They're great, aren't they? My ex-girlfriend once threw a feminine hygiene product at my face during lunch. She missed, but it landed in my spaghetti. Luckily, it was unused."

Phil looked repulsed.

"Exactly..." Todd shook his head. "All because I didn't wait for her to come out of the restroom after class. I guess three minutes isn't long enough to reapply lip gloss. What a witch...probably was trying to keep her ugly wart covered..."

"Is that why she's your ex?"

He laughed. "No, she dumped me for making late night phone calls to one of her friends. Julia had all kind of goodies that Heather didn't."

Phil stared blankly and Todd shrugged.

"So what's your problem with the female kind? Your girlfriend too clingy? Your ex giving you trouble?"

After a moment Phil asked, "Ever had a girl make you jealous, but she didn't know you could get jealous because she didn't know you had those feelings about her?"

Todd whistled under his breath.

"What?"

"You must understand, Phil, girls are sneaky. She'll get together with another guy, rub it in your face just to see how you react because _she_ likes _you_ and wants to get a good reading on the situation before confessing her feelings. "

Phil idly played with a curly red string attached to a balloon that had been popped, his thoughts combining until he couldn't pick out a single one anymore. He rubbed the side of head; it felt tender and slightly swollen.

An uproar from the backyard broke the silence.

"Alright!" Todd exclaimed, jumping to his feet. "Come on, this will make you feel better."

"What's going on?" Phil asked, following the bouncy teen outside.

"Summer games."

Receiving no further explanation, Phil shrugged to himself and joined the group of guys who all had removed their shirts and some girls who had tied their shirts to reveal their stomachs.

Todd stripped off his top and stood in front of a guy wielding a paint brush tipped with bright orange.

"Great for use with the strobes."

Phil glanced around as a couple guys connected the lights to extension cords.

"Just various stunts to perform, no winners or losers. It'll keep your mind off that girl for awhile."

He took in his surroundings: a dark backyard lit faintly by a hazy full moon, strobe lights flashing, rousing music blasting from a portable stereo, laughter and shrieks, paint flying, and random items he could only imagine what their uses would entail.

The ghost of a smile began to light up his face, and he pulled his shirt over his head. The guy finished painting Todd and dipped his brush into a green can, then created swirls and lines on Phil's chest and back.

"Here you go," Todd said, giving Phil a white bandana that the strobe light brightly illuminated.

Phil tied it around his forehead as the others had done.

"First, we mosh to warm up," Todd instructed.

A heavy metal song screamed through the thick summer air, and the teens cheered as they formed a circle and began jumping, waving their arms, and bouncing off each other. Todd leaped right into the middle of the madness, shouting along with the pounding music. Even the girls pushed and shoved.

Maybe it was the August heat and the full moon, or the intensity of the flashing lights and glowing mix of colors, or the infectious sounds coming from the speakers, or maybe it was the confusion his emotions had caused him tonight, but Phil felt electrified.

Without further hesitation, he howled at the moon and plowed into the pit.


	8. Chapter 8

Rainbow-colored half-nude teens frolicked wildly, Phil ahead of the pack like an alpha wolf. Their voices rang out as they chased each other with buckets of syrup. Phil licked a drop of sweet stickiness from his wrist then darted madly after the one who had drenched him in the maple-flavored liquid.

The tearing of threads could be heard among the yelps of the girl he pursued. Her white top shredded at the hem where his fist clenched it tightly hoping to bring her down. She agilely changed her course, leaving Phil's attack with nothing to show for except a piece of destroyed cloth. The girl laughed, her face turning to him as she moved farther away. In the flashing lights, she looked like Keely. Phil pursed his lips, then took after her, calling her name, but she never responded.

She led him to a stretch of water slide along the ground where others played. She stopped and turned back with a teasing smile as Phil closed the gap. He yelled her name again, but she readied herself to take the dive. Catching her at the last second, Phil grabbed her around the waist in a gentle tackle.

They slid for a couple of feet, Phil's sticky bare back making a trail in the water. The girl giggled, the sound very familiar to his ears. She rolled away before he had a chance to capture her again. With a grunt of dissatisfaction, Phil stood up and scanned the area for her. He couldn't find the glint of blond locks in the flashing lights.

His eyes rested upon something new that piqued his attention, though. He jogged towards the small group at the tree line.

Within minutes, hanging upside down from a limb, Phil was being cheered on by a couple guys pounding their fists on the trunk. He strained to curl his body upwards; the guys bursting into a rowdy applause and a tall girl in a tank top dangling a small fruit in front of his face.

"Phil," Keely spoke loudly, sounding much like a disapproving mother trying to gain the attention of a wayward child.

Everyone quietened down and turned to her. Phil raised his eyebrows and mumbled as he chewed on a green grape.

"Oh, hey, Keel."

"What are you doing...?"

He reached up and grabbed the limb, swinging his legs over his head and dropping to the ground, his knees bending and hands touching the grass for support.

Shaking his head from the blood-rush, he giggled in childlike way, "Cool..."

The tall girl placed a hand on his bare shoulder, steadying his frame as he slowly stood. Todd lifted his hand for a high-five, but Phil's coordination at the moment prevented contact. Everyone laughed.

Keely, flustered and annoyed, narrowed her eyes at her best friend. "You look like an idiot, Phil."

His smile faded.

"Give the guy a break. He's just having some fun," Todd interjected.

"Yeah," Phil agreed, "Just having fun. Different from your kind, I guess, swapping spit with some college meat-head."

Everyone doubled over in laughter. Spinning on her heel, Keely walked away from the group, back to the house. Phil took all of five seconds before he went after her.

Inside, the music had grown to a near deafening level. Phil rubbed his temples as he waded through a sea of dancing teens.

"Have you seen Keely?" he asked, taking a hold of Via's arm.

She raised an eyebrow, taking in his appearance. "Through there..."

He took her direction and walked down the hallway, looking into open rooms for a sign of his friend. After peering in on two sets of couples locked at the lips, he finally came to a quiet room with the door partially closed.

"Keel?" he asked, gently nudging the door open.

She sat on the corner of a large bed, neatly made and adorned with several pillows varying in size and colors. The switch was off, the only light was coming from the full moon's silver shaft striking the window, passing through the glass and shining off Keely's blond hair.

Her head was bowed, her hands folded in her lap.

Phil paused a few feet from her, trying to catch a glimpse of her expression, but the shadows played across her features, keeping them well covered.

"Some party, huh," he commented quietly.

Her head moved a bit.

"Will you talk to me, please?"

She sighed. "I'm sorry about what I said."

"I do, though..." he said, seeing his reflection in a dresser mirror.

Keely lifted her head, a smile tugging relentlessly at her lips. "Where's your shirt?"

"...I'm not sure."

She laughed softly, and Phil took that as a good signal and sat beside her on the bed.

He scratched at a piece of peeling paint on his hand and rubbed the reddened skin underneath. "I hope this paint is non-toxic..."

"Hanging out with those people is probably enough to kill brain cells," Keely joked.

"They're just being _teenagers_, Keel," Phil replied, leaning closer, his forehead nearly touching hers.

She smiled, knowing he had her.

"Who's...um...Bryant?"

"I don't know... he asked me to dance, Owen was off playing with the donkey..."

Phil laughed and eased back onto the bed. "Oh..ow.."

"What?"

He shook his head. "Little bit sore."

"What happened to your face?" Keely asked, reclining on her side and propping her head upon a puffy, triangular pillow.

"I...it's not that exciting..."

Keely stared at him for a moment, then rolled onto her stomach, resting her chin on her hand.

"Do you want to leave?" he asked, staring at the ceiling.

"Do you?" she responded sleepily.

"Well...I do owe you a dance..."

She cut her eyes in his direction and smiled brightly.


	9. Chapter 9

They spun around and around. Neither were bothered when they bumped against fellow dancers or they toed each others' feet. They giggled and spoke in hushed voices, leaning in closely to be heard.

"We're being watched..." Keely whispered.

Phil flicked his eyes to the right, and he groaned quietly upon seeing the red-head leaning against the banister and watching him intently as she stirred her drink with her finger, then licked it clean slowly.

Keely couldn't help but giggle softly, and Phil narrowed his eyes at her, causing her smile to quickly disappear. She mouthed her apology before he twirled her and shifted their position until they were removed from the red-head's direct line of sight.

"Your breath is tickling me," he mumbled as they slowed pace to match the music.

She blew a burst of breath at his ear. His head jerked away as he playfully swatted at her.

"This...party...has been the longest night of my short, insignificant...dull and pointless life."

The dancing couple ceased their movement and turned their heads at the same time.

"Oh, hello there!" Via said cheerily with an uneven smile.

"Via, are you okay?" Keely asked, cocking her head.

Phil bit back a chuckle, and the blond at his side eyed him momentarily before returning her attention to her other friend.

"Quite fine, Keely, in fact," Via answered, rubbing her chin, "I'm rather...oh, bloody hell, Phil, you look dreadful..." she ended with a clicking of her tongue.

He frowned.

Keely shook her head. "Via, are you..." she glanced about and lowered her voice, "drunk?"

With no expression but a hint of green coloring upon her cheeks, the brunette replied flatly, "I must use the loo."

Phil and Keely watched as she slowly and deliberately exited the room.

"Maybe you should go check on her," he suggested, letting go of her hand just a second after he realized he still cradled it to his chest.

She lingered for a long moment, staring into his dark eyes, then she smiled and headed towards the bathroom down the hallway. Phil watched her, stuffing his hands into his pockets and rocking on his heels once. He caught sight of Noel and another girl, a short girl with large light brown curls, cutting through the crowd and making their way to the kitchen.

"These people are pigs," the other girl commented, using the tips of her fingers to cautiously pluck a messy napkin from the floor.

Noel sighed. "Then why do you keep having them over?"

"Let me give you a hand with that..." Phil interrupted, lifting the swollen trash bag from the bin. "Paprika, when I first met you earlier tonight, you seemed so assertive and level-headed, I gotta wonder myself...why _do_ you keep letting everyone nearly destroy your house?"

She tied off the bag and leaned against the bar. "It's important to establish popularity early."

"You realize they're taking advantage of a freshman, right?" Phil asked while securing the bin with a fresh sack. "Most of them don't respect you at all, or even like you."

With a shrug Paprika crunched on a celery stick. "The feelings are mutual."

Noel laughed and continued gathering empty and half-empty cups from the counter tops. "Aunt Marlie would stroke out if she were to discover what you've really been up to this summer."

"She's thousands of miles away, Noel," the teen replied, "and left me under the supervision of my stoner brother. She asked for this."

"Phil...?" Noel touched his shoulder and he flinched nervously.

"Are you alright?" Paprika inquired, peering into his wide eyes.

Jumping back a step, Phil replied with a clearing of his throat, "Does... does it seem extremely warm in here?"

The girls raised their eyebrows.

"It's stuffy..."

"Uh, it feels cool in here to me," Noel commented, looking to Paprika.

She nodded. "Thermostat's set so low, I'll be surrendering allowances for weeks to pay the bill."

"And you don't even have a shirt on..." Noel added, glancing at the cracking paint on his skin.

Phil nodded slowly. "Oh..."

"Do you feel sick?" Noel placed the back of her hand against his forehead. "You do feel pretty warm..."

"Maybe..." he hugged himself then as a sharp shiver shot through his body. "It's cold now..."

Paprika dropped the garbage she held. "You should rest. My room's the second left upstairs."

He glanced at Noel, who nodded encouragingly but with a concern in her eyes. "Okay..." he whispered, his eyelids fluttering. He walked from the kitchen to the stairs with his arms wrapped around himself, chills occasionally making him tremble. He received a few casual glances, but no one spoke to him.

Collapsing on the soft bed with a sigh, Phil buried his face in a pillow. He heard a light shuffle against the carpet and felt a hard poke to his upper back.

"...huh?" he grumbled.

"What's the matter with you?"

He groggily turned his face to the sound of the voice. "Pim...why are you still here?"

"This chick's got some strange collections," she replied holding up a box filled to the top with male underwear varying in size and color.

Phil made a face to show his disgust, then rolled onto his back. "Are you...Pim, turn that off."

With a shrug she complied. "Eh, I have plenty of footage from earlier this evening." She leaned forward to see his face more clearly in the lamp light.

"I feel weird," he commented with a deep frown.

"Yeah, the creepy leather-girl slipped something in your drink," Pim stated calmly, picking up her camcorder. "I was filming from the top of stairs. Take a look."

Phil focused on the viewing window as the camera zoomed in on him and Keely swaying slowly and a red-head squatted behind the small table where his drink sat. Keeping her eyes on the dancing couple nearby, the red-head stealthily sprinkled a powdery substance in the cup, then disappeared behind a sofa.

The film blurred and jumped as a few people climbed the stairs in front of the frame. Pim closed it and sat on the edge of the bed.

"Why didn't you tell me?!" Phil quickly sat up, running his hands over his head, spiking his hair. "No telling what that lunatic put in there!"

Pim raised her hand, "Relax, there's no cause for girlie panic."

Phil narrowed his eyes at her and gritted his teeth.

"I accosted her after that and demanded to know what she gave you." She shook her head. "If you died do you realize how much of a bind that would leave me in? Mom crying hysterically on my shoulder and Dad going even more off his rocker... I couldn't bear the inevitable coddling of the lone remaining child."

She shrugged. "It was a common analgesic in a small, non-dangerous amount. You might be having a slight adverse effect. I'm sure it'll pass soon."

Rolling his eyes Phil laid back on the bed and sighed heavily, slightly moaning as the dizziness invaded his brain again.

"You're welcome," she stressed. He threw a pillow at her in response.

Standing up Pim cast him a small smile and grabbed her camcorder. "I took the liberty of repaying her for her actions."

Phil raised his eyebrow.

With a chuckle Pim moved to the door, "You're welcome for that too."

Without offering any information, she left the room. Phil chewed on his lip for a moment and then wiped a few beads of sweat from his hairline. An eruption of loud voices and dull thumps drifted up the stairs. With a furrowed brow, Phil gingerly rolled off the bed to a standing position. He side-stepped to avoid falling to the right. Once he felt sure enough on his feet, he inched to the hallway where the noises grew in volume.

By the time he reached the top of the stairs, he could clearly hear the angry shouts and feel the vibrations from something shaking the house.

Peering down into what once was the dance area lit only by a few party lights, Phil saw the commotion responsible: a mob of teens attacking each other.


	10. Chapter 10

"Via!"

Phil hobbled down the stairs towards the brunette leaning her back against the wall. She turned and waved excitedly with a huge grin plastered on her flushed face.

"What's going on?!" he asked over the roar of the crowd.

"Isn't it fantastic?!" she answered with a grand gesture at the madness. "They're utterly out of control!"

He rolled his eyes and searched the room as best he could from his vantage point. "Where's Keely?"

"She was struck in the face by an unidentified flying object," Via replied shaking her head, "But I did notice the bloke who threw it. Mind you, he was aiming at the chap behind her."

Phil grew impatient and twitchy among the noise and confusion. "Where did she go?"

Via pointed in the direction of the front door, which was wide open. Phil ducked and dodged his way across the floor, barely missing a wild kick from a pointy shoe heel. He saw Keely sitting upon the front steps holding her head.

"Keel!" He crouched beside her and lifted her chin gently. "You okay?"

She smiled despite a large reddish spot throbbing under her right eye. "A book on legal proceedings hit me."

He felt a little off balance and sat down. "What happened in there?"

"I don't really know..." She frowned. "One minute I was talking with a slowly sobering Via and the next..." She nodded to the chaos inside.

Phil looked back in time to see a big clear plastic bowl sail through the doorway, pretzels flying.

"Did you know Pim's here?"

He nodded once, keeping his gaze on the bowl that had landed just behind them. "We should stop this..." he mumbled turning to Keely, "...right?"

She raised both brows and exhaled.

Phil shook his head. "Wrong."

Suddenly the donkey streaked across the lawn bellowing as Owen followed closely on its tail shouting words neither Phil or Keely could discern.

"I wish I could say that's the strangest thing I've seen all night," Noel spoke from behind them.

They turned to look at her; she gave them a friendly smile. Phil returned it but Keely held back a bit, offering only a quick small raise of one corner of her mouth.

"Why are they fighting?" Phil inquired.

The pageant queen shook her head. "A show of manhood? I have no idea, really. A few of the senior jocks were clowning around then began arguing, then throwing punches and various items."

"Like books," Keely commented quietly.

Noel flashed her an sympathetic expression before continuing. "Somehow the madness spread."

"Where's Paprika?" Keely asked.

"In the backyard... belly dancing..." Noel responded, breathing out an exasperated sigh.

"What should we do?"

She shrugged at Keely's question, then pointed to Phil. "Is he alright?"

Keely looked and saw that Phil had fallen over, his head resting against the brickwork and his eyes closed, a hint of a smile on his lips.

"Phil?" she said, shaking him.

He grunted and smacked his lips. "I like pancakes..."

Keely sighed and headed inside.

"HEY!" she yelled as loud as she could over the clamoring.

A few people took notice, but soon lost interest and parted ways. Keely marched to the stereo and shut it off. This had earned her the attention of a few more, mostly dancers who hadn't let the squabbling groups of teens interrupt their party. They booed and shouted insults at her, but she ignored them and yelled again.

Everyone stopped this time and stared. Keely breathed heavily and smoothed out her hair in attempt to collect herself.

"Okay...that's better," she cleared her throat, "this has clearly gotten out of hand, and I think we owe Paprika an apology."

A muscular blond teen in a H.G. Wells football jersey replied with a sound resembling a goat. Many laughed, Keely frowned but did not let it deter her.

"Please...guys..."

Bryant stepped forward from the crowd. "She's right... this is immature and ridiculous." He winked at her. "I think we should pitch in, clean this place up."

"Yeah right!" exclaimed the goat-teen. "We're supposed to take this from _you_? Everyone, for your information, Bryant wrote the book on destroying a freshman's house during a party!"

"I never -"

"You drove the kid's dad's sports car through the kitchen!" goat-teen exclaimed for all to hear.

Heads turned in unison towards Bryant, who shrank back slightly.

"I...admit...I had a few wild days, but that was before I grew up and realized this kind of behavior is just obnoxious and stupid."

"It was 6 months ago!" goat-teen retorted.

Bryant shrugged meekly, glancing at Keely who offered no support for him. The house was silent for several seconds except for the faint cheering and music from the backyard.

Goat-teen dropped his empty plastic cup to the floor and stomped it. "I'm bored of this. Anyone up for a moonlight skinny-dip at the lake?"

A few murmured replies followed, and teens began filing out through the front door. Bryant smiled and made a move towards Keely, but she quickly held up her hand to stop him. His shoulders slumped, and he followed the others from the house with a melancholy expression.

Eventually with the music no longer playing and the atmosphere having grown too gloomy for celebration, the remaining teens took off, leaving Keely, Via, and Noel standing in the trashed living room.

"This certainly was a bit of fun, you say?" Via commented dryly. "I'm thrilled you invited me, Keely."

She sighed. "It was supposed to be."

"I guess I should let Paprika know her party is...pretty much over," Noel said, leaving the two friends alone.

Keely began tossing the garbage into a bag while Via wiped up stray drops of liquid from a small table near the hallway. Pausing her movements at a sound coming from down the hall, she whispered to Keely to come over.

"Do you hear that?" the brunette asked, slowly moving towards the noise.

"Is someone crying?"

Via nodded and pushed through the partially open bathroom door. She and Keely stopped dead in their tracks at the sight before them: a familiar leather-clad girl sitting on the tile, mascara streaking her cheeks.

The girl's head rose quickly at the sound of the intrusion. "Get out!" she screeched.

The piercing voice echoed off the bathroom walls, startling both spectators.

Almost growling her frustration, the girl sprung to her feet and barreled past Via and Keely, one hand attempting to cover her completely bald head and the other blocking any chance the girls might try to stop her. They stared at each other as the thuds of the girl's heavy military-style boots mixed with her gasping sobs.

Keely and Via, eyes wide, slowly turned to leave the bathroom, ready to resume what was to be a long cleaning process.


	11. Chapter 11

Phil coughed a few times, his chest feeling unusually tight and his stomach twisting in knots. He reached for the railing for support, but before his fingers could wrap around the dark metal, a blur zoomed by him, sending him into a spin and crashing into the brick wall.

"Oh! Mr. Diffry," she cried as she hurried to his side. "I'm sorry, I didn't see you..."

He pinched the bridge of his nose and groaned, the other hand holding his upset stomach. Looking at the girl for the first time since the collision, his jaw dropped.

The girl quickly turned away, horrified to have him see her in this condition. "I don't know how it happened! It was just..._gone_!"

Phil felt a pang of sympathy for her despite his anger towards her at the same time he realized how his sister had exacted revenge using future technology.

"It...doesn't look so bad..." he said without thinking.

Her face wrinkled in response as a fresh batch of tears started to fall. Phil began to try to amend the situation, but suddenly his body stiffened as his stomach expelled its contents all over the girls boots.

She screamed, hid her face in her hands, and ran away, tracks of regurgitated party snacks in her wake. Phil wiped his mouth, his eyes closed and his body swaying slightly. He took a couple steps towards the front door and vomited again on the threshold.

Keely, having heard the act, turned to the doorway just in time to see Phil's foot slide against the chunky liquid. His body lurched forward and landed ungracefully and solidly against the floor. Keely and Via gasped as Phil slowly pushed himself up on his arms, but the remaining contents spluttered from his mouth with a sickening splat against the hardwood.

Via cringed, Keely shut her eyes tightly. Phil coughed and rolled onto his back, collapsing under the weight of his embarrassment and exhaustion.

"Well, help him..." Via gestured.

Keely's eyes shot open. "You help him!"

"There are tiny bits of food on his cheek..." Via shook her head in firm protest.

"Girls..." Phil utterly weakly, "...I got it." He added sarcastically, "Thanks."

They watched uneasily as he slowly, cautiously stood upon shaky legs. He sighed, wiping his cheek with the back of his hand, then smearing the substance against his pants.

"Sorry, Phil," Keely offered with a small shrug.

He nodded his understanding and then smiled a little. "I feel much better now..."

"Too much sugar, or too much party?" Via questioned, stacking another full garbage sack along the wall.

"Uh..."

The brunette interrupted, "Actually, Phil, would you mind holding that thought and perhaps getting washed up? You smell like roadkill that has been defecated upon."

He rolled his eyes and crossed the room making sure to avoid the girls on his way to the bathroom.

"Poor guy..." Keely whispered.

Via chuckled as Noel entered the living room, clasping her hands together.

"Well, Paprika and I will take it from h..." she trailed off at the sight in the doorway.

"Phil had an accident," Via stated.

Noel covered her nose at the offending stench as it began to waft throughout the room. "Oh..."

"He's fine," Via added.

"First he falls off the roof, then he gets sick?" Noel shook her head slowly.

"What?!" Keely exclaimed, closing the gap between herself and the other blond.

Noel stammered slightly, "H-he fell... didn't he tell you?"

Keely crossed her arms over her chest. "No. Why did he tell you?"

"He didn't... I was there," Noel said quietly.

The blonds stared at each other for several long seconds. Via watched, quite entertained.

"True story," a voice spoke from above them.

They all turned to see Pim descending the stairs.

"And I have the evidence the prove it," she said with a smug smile, her camcorder secured to her hand. "How about when lover boy is finished cleaning puke off himself, we have him tell us the tale?"

"Who are you?" Noel asked.

"His sister..." Keely answered, returning her focus upon the blond again.

Pim stuck out her tongue and fanned the air in front of her face. "Oh man that reeks..." She asked Noel, "Hey blondie, does your cousin have an industrial-force bucket and mop?"

"Pim..."

Phil entered the room and all was quiet. He glanced down at himself to double-check that he was clean of any lingering debris. His pants were stained with water spots where he had scrubbed vigorously.

"Hey, bro!" the young girl beamed. "Keely here hasn't heard how you fell from the roof. Want to share?"

He glared at his little sister, then looked briefly at Noel, who met his eyes then lowered her head. Keely caught the exchange and raised her eyebrow.

"Well, I think someone should do a quick sweep for any sign of Owen. Or the donkey," Via said to break the awkward silence, heading to the door, stepping over the mess. She paused and shook her head. "Well, quite actually, I don't much care, but I'm leaving nonetheless. Pim, care to join me?"

"No, I'm -"

The brunette grabbed the her by the elbow and pushed her along.

"Excuse you! The British lost the right to manhandle Americans hundreds of years ago! This is purely tyrannical and...and," she smiled to herself, "...I like it!"

Via smiled to her friends before forcing Pim out of the front door. "Goodnight, everyone."

Phil and Keely's faces portrayed their amusement.

"I'll go, um, find something to..." Noel pointed at the congealing vomit.

"I should be the one to take care of it," Phil replied quickly.

The blond shook her head. "It's alright. You should probably get home since you're not feeling too well..." She exited the room with a small wave. "Nice to meet you both..."

"Bye..." Phil said in a soft voice.

Keely responded with a small smile.

Scratching a few flakes of paint from his ribs, Phil sighed heavily and glanced at Keely. She cleared her throat and shifted her weight to her left foot.

"Guess we...leave now?"

With a nod, she followed him out the door. Phil grimaced at the sight of his mess as they walked by. Outside in the fresh air, they both inhaled a large breath. The moonlight bounced off everything, creating a silvery glow all around them.

As they walked down the hill that would take them back into town, Phil watched the full moon with sleepy eyes. He yawned.

Keely couldn't help but smile at the cute way he shook off the advancing tiredness. The full moon's light shone off his bare skin, pieces of paint illuminated against the darker tint of his shoulder.

He cut his eyes, noticing how she watched him. His lips curved upwards just a small amount.

A lanky shadow moved up the hill on the opposite side of the road. As it drew nearer, Phil could make out the outline of a floppy hat.

"Hey, dude..."

Phil nodded. "What's up, Maddox?

"Just headed back home..."

Keely asked, "You live back there?"

Maddox grinned. "Big house at the peak..."

"You're Paprika's...stoner brother?" Phil replied.

He chuckled loudly and nodded, holding his arms out from his sides.

"I should apologize for the mess at the front door, in case it's still there when you get home."

The teen stared up at the huge moon. "Ah, no problem, dude. It's been a crazy night..."

"Yeah..." Phil and Keely agreed.

"You ever wanna talk NASA again, future dude, hit me up." Maddox pounded Phil's fist and resume climbing the steep hill.

Keely bumped against her friend's side. "NASA? Future dude?"

He shrugged. They continued walking quietly for several minutes.

"So how _did_ you fall off the roof?"

Phil shook his head.

"I can just get Pim to show me," she responded nonchalantly. "I already have my suspicions," she added, giving him a look, a faint smile on her lips.

He laughed quietly, and Keely playfully bristled at his refusal to take her seriously. Suddenly she took off running down the hill as fast as she could.

"Hey!" Phil shouted after her. "That's not fair!"

He ran after her, hindered by his sore body, his slightly pounding skull, and the light queasiness in his gut. Keely occasionally slowed down then swiftly changed directions to evade his grasp. Phil's arms swiped at empty space every time. He rolled his eyes, still calling out the unjustly manner in which she took advantage of his condition.

Keely's giggles rang out as he chased her into the bright August night.


End file.
